Two Atlanta-based companies have partnered to launch the world's first commercial use of a certified high-recycled content aluminum sheet for beverage cans.

Atlanta based aluminum giant Novelis Inc. and Marietta, Ga.-based micro-brewer Red Hare Brewing Co. announced at the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference in Denver the launch of evercan, which is made of a guaranteed minimum 90 percent recycled content.

Red Hare craft beer packaged in cans made of Novelis' evercan aluminum sheet is expected to be on store shelves beginning in May in key markets throughout the southeastern U.S., Novelis said.

"This introduction marks the commercial availability of the world's first certified high-recycled content aluminum beverage can," said Phil Martens, president and chief executive officer for Novelis, in a statement. "Working with Red Hare, we have developed a proven supply chain to deliver this industry-first offering to consumers, setting an example that other beverage companies are sure to follow."

Red Hare was the first craft brewery in Georgia to package its products in aluminum cans, following a trend in the micro-brewery industry to move from bottles to cans as a way to expand distribution and appeal to on-the-go consumers. Nearly 400 craft brewers in nearly every state in the U.S. are canning more than 1,300 different beers, the company said.

The evercan is available to beverage companies globally. Company facilities in North America, Europe, South America and Asia are now certified to produce the can by Emeryville, Calif.-based SCS Global Services.

Novelis said it plans to dramatically increase the recycled content of its products across its global operations to 80 percent by 2020.

The world's largest recycler of aluminum said capital investments of approximately $500 million during the last two years that will double its global recycling capacity to 2.1 million metric tons by 2015.